Outdoor Program

All St. Mary's students are invited to join the Outdoor Program, a club that seeks to provide students, faculty, and family members with monthly opportunities to explore, learn about, and appreciate the outdoor environment of Southern Oregon and the wider Pacific Northwest.

The outdoor experiences themselves tend to vary considerably throughout the year. In the past, St. Mary's groups have climbed mountain peaks, kayaked and rafted rivers, explored lava caves, cross-country skied backcountry trails, enjoyed the slopes of Mt. Ashland on alpine skis and snowboards, backpacked deep into wilderness areas, and toured the surrounding roads and hills by bicycle.

Although the trips are designed for the adventurous spirit, extra care is taken that proper equipment is used and that experienced supervision is provided at all times. Ensuring the safety of program participants is a top priority. Many adult leaders have current first aid and CPR certification, and several program advisors have specialized certification in Wilderness First Aid and Outdoor Emergency Care. Complete wilderness medical kits come along on every trip.

Some of the program's offerings are available only to Upper School students. For instance, students entering grades 9-12 (including those in the process of moving up from the 8th grade) are welcome to sign up for the big summer offerings, such as the Utah trip and the wilderness backpacking experience. However, some of our trips (such as the caving trip in November and the five ski/snowboard visits to Mt. Ashland) are available to the entire St. Mary's student body.